He Wasn't Always a Miser
by Em O'Gilt
Summary: A short story where Hortense shares with Quackmore of her experience of growing up with Scrooge, and then watching him turn into a miserly, greedy, cold-hearted man.


**Hortense shares with Quackmore of her experience of growing up with Scrooge, and then watching him turn into a miserly, greedy, cold-hearted man. The brackets indicate flashbacks. So everything inside brackets is in the past. Everything outside brackets is the "present." You don't see many stories about Hortense, so I decided it was her time to shine! I will write more stories about minor characters that never really appear in stories as main characters. Just something different. (Not nearly as fun as writing about Scrooge, Magica, and Goldie but…It's something different.) **

"Donald! Get back here with that curling iron!" shouted an angry and flustered Hortense, running after her five year old son.

At the same time, her husband Quackmore, was chasing Donald's twin sister Della.

"Della! Give me back my razor!" he yelled.

Once they'd finally caught their children and taken away the dangerous objects from them, they sighed.

"This probably wouldn't happen if they had nice things to play with," Hortense said. "But we can't afford to get them nice things…"

"_You're _the one with the rich brother…"

"Scroogey wouldn't give up one cent for anyone. Even his family…Even if it meant starving us all!" she said bitterly.

"Was your brother always like this?"

"Of course not…" Her expression softened and turned to thoughtful. "He used to be…nice, caring…and a good big brother…"

"Really?"

"Aye. When we were all back home with Mama and Papa he was a totally different person…"

["Ok, wee Hortense! Here comes the ball!" 9 year old Scrooge McDuck threw his baby sister a ball. Hortense just stared blankly at him, thumb in mouth, letting the ball fall to the ground in front of her.

"Oh, it's ok, Hortense! Try again!" He picked up the ball and threw it again. She still stared blankly at him.

"What is he wanting me to do?" she thought.

"Catch it, Hortense!"

"Oh, _now_ he tells me…" She held her hands out too late as the ball fell to the ground.

"Almost, Hortense! Try again!" he said brightly.

Matilda walked up and said, "What are you doing, Scroogey?"

"I'm playing catch with Hortense!"

"Does she actually _catch_ the ball?" Matilda asked amused.

"Well, no…Not yet. She's catching on though…Get it? _Catching_ on? Ha ha…"

"Um…yeah. Mama said dinner will be ready soon, so you need to come inside and wash up."

"Ok…Come on, Hortense, I'll help you wash up…" He took his little sister's hand and led her inside.

Scrooge picked his sister up and helped her wash her hands. When he set her back down, she said, "Thay Goo," which was her version of "thank you."

"You're welcome, sister."

"Scroogey," Downy said. "Would you please set the table?"

"Aye, Mama." He began happily and willingly setting the table. He was always happy to help his mama out.

"You girls should learn from your big brother. He's such a nice, helpful little lad."

"Aye, Mama," Matilda agreed.

After dinner, the family went and sat by the fire and talked as they did every night after dinner.

"You know, Papa," Scrooge said. "Someday we are not going to be so poor…"

"Maybe so, son…"

"We are going to be rich, live in a big house with many rooms, and we'll always have plenty of food on the table!"

"Laddie, that's a nice thought, but we're getting along all right how things are, don't you think?"

"I suppose so…"

"Money isn't everything you know."

"Aye, I know, Papa, but it certainly helps to have some. I'm going to make lots of money one day and help my family out!"

"That's nice, Scroogey," Downy smiled. "It's so nice to have a son that cares so much for his family."

"But," Fergus said, "Making money isn't so easy…"

"I can do it!" Scrooge said.

"Well, when you're a bit older, maybe you can make some."

"Oh boy!" Scrooge was excited. "Maybe I can stop world hunger, get orphans homes, and…"

"Scroogey, you can't do it all."

"Okay, but I will most definitely help my family out," he smiled.

A little later, Downy said, "Okay, it's time to get Hortense off to bed…" she reached and picked up her daughter. "Oh, my aching back!" she groaned. "Lass, I hope you enjoy this, because you're hurting your mama!"

Hortense just continued to suck her thumb.

"Oh, Mama," Scrooge said. "I'll put Hortense to bed tonight. You rest."

"If you're sure…" Downy said.

"I'm positive. Anything to help my Mama!"

"Oh bless you Scroogey."

Scrooge took his sister from his mother and carried her to bed. He sat her in her crib and she exclaimed, "Storwee!" (her version of "story")

"Alright, Hortense," he chuckled. "I'll read you a story. How about _The Bagpiper of Hamlin_?"

Hortense gave him a blank look telling him she couldn't care less what story he read her, so he read that very story. She fell asleep before he could finish.

"Goodnight, lassie," he kissed her forehead, and then snuck quietly back into the living room to find his father putting out the fire.

"Did you get her to sleep?" Downy asked.

"Aye, Mama. She's sound asleep."

"Thank you, Scroogey!" she hugged him tightly.

"You're welcome, Mama."]

"I remember lying in my crib that night," Hortense told Quackmore, "thinking about how great a brother Scroogey was and how when I was bigger, I wanted to be just like him…"

"You remember what you were thinking when you were so small?"

"Aye. I remember it well. And to think I wanted to be just like him. Well, I certainly changed my mind just a few short years later…On Scroogey's tenth birthday, he got a shoe shining kit…And that's what started it all….When he made his first dime, this is what he said…"

["That sharpie tricked me! This is an American coin! Well…I've got to be tougher than the toughies and sharper than the sharpies and earn my money square!"He might as well have said, "Look out world! Here comes Scrooge McDuck! (Soon to be the richest, most miserly, cold hearted duck to be known!)

Hortense was noticing something. Her brother was changing. He was still loving and kind most of the time, but he was becoming a little greedy. As soon as he was through shining one person's shoes, he ran for another immediately. This didn't stop until he became thirteen. He decided at this point that it was time for him to go out on his own and seek bigger and better things.

"I'm going to go America to find some work, Mama. When I get a good amount of money, I'm going to bring it back to the family."

"Oh, Scroogey!" his mother squeezed him affectionately. "I know you'll make us proud!"

"I'll try, Mama. Goodbye Papa! Goodbye Matilda, and wee Hortense."

Hortense was nearly giving her brother a death glare.

"What's the matter Hortense? I'll be back!" he smiled. "I promise!"

"Mm-hmm…We'll see," Hortense thought.

Scroogey waved and then left them all just standing there; Mama crying, Papa comforting her, Matilda starting to cry, and Hortense standing with her arms crossed, watching him leave. She was somewhat sad her brother was leaving, but mad because he wasn't the same. There was something different about him and she didn't think it was going to turn out good. She had this feeling inside her deep down that told her he wasn't coming back. And if he did, he was going to have changed so much. She felt a tear coming, but it more out of anger, she thought.

"Oh, Hortense, it's okay," Matilda patted her back. "Don't cry, Sister. Scroogey is just going to make some money for us and he will be back soon."

"I wouldn't be so sure," she thought, sadly.

Their family went on okay through the next few years. Scroogey finally came home for a bit five years later, but only because of their crisis of the Whiskervilles bothering them. Then he left again to become a gold prospector. After 22 years of being gone, he finally came home to stay, but he had become a monster. A greedy, selfish, ignorant monster. Matilda and Hortense tried to be nice to Scroogey, but Matilda was better at overlooking their brother's new attitude than her sister was. Hortense couldn't stand it after a while. He was just not the Scroogey he was 22 years ago. He acted like he was _something_ because he was so rich. And yes, he _was_ something, but he didn't have to be all uppity about it! He tells his sisters they were going to move to Duckburg and that was exciting because, well, they'd be moving to _America_! He let it slip about some girl he loved apparently, and his sisters questioned him about it, but he bit their heads off!

"I don't know why any girl could possibly like Scroogey anyway?" Hortense thought bitterly. "Because of his money, no doubt. Who could love such a big headed, money grubbing jerk?"

After they'd moved to America, the McDuck sisters started accompanying Scroogey on his adventures. Until they couldn't stand it anymore, that is. It was horrible traveling with him! All he was concerned about was making money, making _more_ money…So the girls went back home and left their brother a note. If he wanted to change his ways and join them, he was welcome to.

Well, he came back, but he was most certainly _not_ changed! He was still the same old Scroogey, if not worse! Matilda and Hortense were getting their hopes up thinking he'd changed and they had our Scroogey back, because as soon as he stormed in the door, they could tell he hadn't changed a bit.

"If you aren't going to apologize, then you'll never see us again!" Hortense said angrily.

He didn't offer an apology of any sort, so they left. But not before Donald went and kicked Scroogey in the tail feathers!]

"I love our son for that! I was so proud of him!" Hortense told Quackmore.

"Yeah, Scrooge really deserved that…But I didn't know that he was ever nice…I can't picture him being so nice to you at all…"

"Aye…Scroogey was a totally different person when we were kids. Before he had made that first dime…Before Papa gave him that shoe shine kit…I know he _meant_ well…He didn't know that it would make Scroogey so…greedy and cold hearted…" she trailed off.

"Are you about to _cry_, sweetheart?"

"No!" Hortense protested, turning away, blinking back tears.

"It's okay…" he put an arm around her.

She shrugged him off though, and yelled, "Donald! Bring those scissors back _right now_!" and ran after her son.

"Hm…" said Quackmore. "If I were to think Della wasn't up to something, I'd be out of my mind…Della! Where are you?"

"In the kitchen!" she said in a sing song voice.

Quackmore rushed to the kitchen to find his daughter on a stool, about to climb onto the counter to reach for the cookie jar.

He chuckled, and pulled her down from the counter and sat her on the floor.

Just then the phone rang.

"Hello?" Quackmore answered.

"Hello, Quackmore…Is Hortense there?" Matilda said a little hesitantly.

"Yes. Is everything alright, Matilda?"

"Sort of…"

"Hello?" Hortense answered. "What's wrong, Matilda?"

"Nothing's _wrong_ really…I've just been thinking about Scroogey…"

"What a coincidence. So was I."

"And how he used to be so nice, and…"

"I know, Matilda…He's changed so much…"

"I really miss him, Tensey!" she sobbed.

"I know, Matilda. I miss him too…"

"I think we should go talk to him…"

"I don't think that's a good idea. We can't go crawling back to him. We said if he wasn't going to change and apologize, then we didn't want anything to do with him."

"But that's so mean!" she cried.

"Matilda! Think of how mean _he's_ being!"

"Do unto others as you want to be treated…"

"Tell that to Scroogey! But seriously, we _can't_ go to him. If he wants to change, he can come to _us_. The Scroogey we _miss _is not the Scroogey that he is _now_. Maybe he'll change one day…But I don't see that happening…"

Matilda sighed. "But I miss him…How he used to be…"

"I miss him too, but we're going to have to just go on with our lives…"

"Easy for you to say! You've, got a, family!" Matilda said, hyperventilating.

"Do you want to come stay with us?" Hortense offered.

"No…I don't want to intrude…"

"You wouldn't be intruding…" she assured her big sister.

"Well, I think I'm going to travel a bit...Maybe go to Austria…It sounds like a lovely place…"

"Ok, Matilda…But my home is always open to you. My home is your home."

"Thanks, Hortense. I love you."

"I love you too."

And so Scroogey, as far as Hortense was ever concerned, was always a cold hearted tightwad. She never heard from him for as long as she lived.

**I know this was a bit short, and once again, I could have elaborated more, and I'm sorry. My best will always be my first: "The Witch, The Dime, and An Old Friend." **


End file.
